Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Now properly called a Canada Jay by the American Ornithological Society checklist, this fluffy, big-headed jay looks rather like a chickadee on steroids. It readily approaches large mammals, including people, to steal any tidbits of food it notices. Canada Jays are often caught in traps set for mammals. Tragically, their numbers are decreasing, especially in the southern parts of their range. They breed in winter, depending on food stores they cache in late fall and early winter. During warm spells (increasing in length and intensity due to climate change), the food spoils. The problem is called “hoard rot.” Read about it on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website here.